A forest fire broke out this afternoon (Thursday) in the area of the Ein Lavan Spring in Jerusalem. Ten firefighting crews assisted by four planes are working to contain and put out the fire.
Visitors have been evacuated from the Biblical Zoo and the Israel Aquarium, which are near the area of the fire. Zoo and aquarium staff are also working to move the animals to safe areas.
At this stage, the firefighters are focusing on containing the blaze and stopping its spread. Once they have gained control of the fire, the focus will shift to extinguishing it entirely.
The access road to the Biblical Zoo has also been closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic.